Caprice en forme de valse, Paul Bonneau

by Brian L. Trittin

Synopsis
Composer Dates: 1918-1995
Publication Date: 1950
Publisher: Alphonse Leduc
Dedication: Marcel Mule
Performance Time: 4'
Grade Level: 8

Background
Paul Bonneau is a French composer and conductor who studied with Henri
Busser. From 1932-1945, he attended the National Conservatory of Music,
Paris. He has been the conductor of various musical groups and has written
over 50 film scores, pieces for orchestra, operettas, and songs. His
compositions for alto saxophone include, aConcerto (1944), and Piece
Concertante dans l'Espirit Jazz (1944).

The Caprice en forme de valse has been one of the most popular
unaccompanied saxophone compositions for a long time. It has been
performed on all the members of the saxophone family and is well suited to
any of them. It is a typical French piece in that it contains much
chromaticism and a considerable number of difficult technical passages,
which are so common in French compositions

Formal Analysis
The piece is certainly grounded in tonality but Bonneau does not follow
traditional harmonic practices. The main motivic idea is presented at the
beginning of the composition. This motive returns four more times during
the piece to remind the listener of the thematic material serving as a
unifying device. It must be noted that this motive returns at various pitch
levels in the piece as well. The original statement begins on a G-sharp, the
next two statements begin on F-sharp and E respectively. The final
statement of the motive is given twelve measures from the end of the
piece, with the first note missing from the original motive and written an
octave lower. Absence of the first note occurs either because the
composer wished to vary the motive or because he wanted the motive an
octave lower but unfortunately the range of the saxophone does not extend
to this pitch necessitating its omission.

Structurally, the Caprice en forme de valse is divided into four sections.

The first section presents the main motivic ideas. The second section
introduces the Valsematerial, which is remotely related to the opening
motive. The third section is best described as the development section
developing the main motives. The fourth and final section is comprised of a
coda. The coda section presents the main motives first and finally leads to
a conclusion of the piece.

Performance Considerations
The main consideration the performer must examine, before endeavoring
on learning and performing this piece, is its technical difficulty. The
notation is traditional, but there are many accidentals, double-sharps and
displacements of the beat. There are also lengthy technical runs that will
require much attention. These runs are mostly diatonic and if the
saxophonist is comfortable with his/her scales they do not pose a large
problem. The other technical problem with these runs is that they need to
be executed very quickly. For example, at the tempo of moderato, a group
of nine notes must be played within on eighth-note (there are also groups
of 5, 6, 7, and 8 note passages). So, the moderato tempo marking does not
necessarily imply ease because the illusion of the presto tempo marking is
maintained with these rapid passages even at the moderato tempo.

The piece is written in 3/8 which must be interpreted as one beat per
measure to accommodate the Presto tempo marking given by the composer.
In the Valse section of the piece, the music is completely saturated with
grace notes. The tempo at this point is rubato in contrast to the beginning
presto, but the grace notes are arpeggiated much like the opening theme.
Following this are sections of the long technical passages described above.
In the final section of the piece, Bonneau returns to his opening motivic
ideas but these are varied.
Conclusions
The Caprice en forme de valse is an enjoyable piece to perform and to
listen to. The listener is never lost within endless variations and
development. The main motives are stated often enough to sustain the
listener's attention, and are always varied to keep interest. Within all
sections of the work it is easy to see and hear the variations. Needless to
say to the saxophonist, this is technically a very difficult piece. If the
performer has advanced technical facility and experience in preparing
cadenzas, I believe that this is a good piece to begin the study of
unaccompanied literature. It maintains a steady pulse throughout which will
aid the performer in the execution of the technical passages. For contrast,
the development section is very cadenza-like.

Musically and pedagogically the Caprice en forme de valse is an important

part of the saxophone repertoire. It should be a part of every
saxophonist's repertoire and is appriate as an early study piece in a master
class settings and certainly apprpriate in any solo performance. If
performed technically well, it will flatter the performer's skills both
musically and technically.